The present invention relates to methods of manufacturing a brush seal and particularly relates to methods of manufacturing generic brush seals to required sizes e.g., diameters in segments with enhanced efficiency, minimum costs and reduced manufacturing time.
Brush seals are typically employed for sealing between stationary and rotary components, e.g., packing about a rotary shaft in a turbine, and between high and low pressure regions on opposite sides of the seal. Conventional bristle packs forming brush seals, particularly in high temperature environments, require precise placement of superalloy bristles while maintaining tight tolerances. It will be appreciated that particular angles and varying separation between the bristles are required and for different diameter applications. Current methods of manufacture essentially require manual orientation of the bristles on a machined fence. As will be appreciated, this is a time consuming and costly method of manufacture. Accordingly, there is a need for methods of manufacturing brush seals in which lower cost generic brush seal segments can be fabricated with increased accuracy, precision and placement of the bristles and hence improved quality of the seal and pressure distribution within the bristle pack during operation.